
An unflinching and stunning debut memoir of an Iranian girl’s coming-of-age experiencing abuse, war, and superstition—and her survival through an inner world into which she could escape. When she was a child, Atash Yaghmaian’s home life was unpredictable: a confusing mix of love and terror. Outside of her home, Iran was also on fire. Her reality of abuse, war, gender oppression, and religious superstition left her feeling unsafe everywhere. So, she left reality and disassociated into a place she called the House of Stone: a building in a magical forest full of peaceful creatures, kind talking trees, and volcanoes. Inhabiting this world are 9 people, each different parts of Atash, who would be her salvation from the external horrors of her outer world. Set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime, and the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, My Name Means Fire is Atash’s story of survival as she experiences tragic events including sexual abuse, a mother who subjected her to superstitious rituals, and the horrors of war. In chapters alternating with what’s happening in her outside world, her other parts—each named after a color—tell the story of her inner world, giving readers an understanding of what it’s like to be inside the consciousness of someone who is multiple. Honest, powerful, and moving, My Name Means Fire is a bold narrative that challenges the stigma and misinformation around dissociative identity disorder (DID) and ultimately reckons with what it takes to survive.
An unflinching and stunning debut memoir of an Iranian girl’s coming-of-age experiencing abuse, war, and superstition—and her survival through an inner world into which she could escape. When she was a child, Atash Yaghmaian’s home life was unpredictable: a confusing mix of love and terror. Outside of her home, Iran was also on fire. Her reality of abuse, war, gender oppression, and religious superstition left her feeling unsafe everywhere. So, she left reality and disassociated into a place she called the House of Stone: a building in a magical forest full of peaceful creatures, kind talking trees, and volcanoes. Inhabiting this world are 9 people, each different parts of Atash, who would be her salvation from the external horrors of her outer world. Set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime, and the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, My Name Means Fire is Atash’s story of survival as she experiences tragic events including sexual abuse, a mother who subjected her to superstitious rituals, and the horrors of war. In chapters alternating with what’s happening in her outside world, her other parts—each named after a color—tell the story of her inner world, giving readers an understanding of what it’s like to be inside the consciousness of someone who is multiple. Honest, powerful, and moving, My Name Means Fire is a bold narrative that challenges the stigma and misinformation around dissociative identity disorder (DID) and ultimately reckons with what it takes to survive.
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“Yaghmaian’s dissociative world reads like magical realism. Fascinating, provocative, and deeply personal, My Name Means Fire offers an unconventional perspective that will challenge your thinking on trauma and survival.”
~ Nina Darnton, author of A Perfect Mother
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Have you experienced anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and low self-esteem?
I work with a spectrum of clients from adolescents to adults, BIPOC and LGBTQ clients.
I see my work as a partnership, and believe every person has the tools and wisdom within, to be happy.

As a therapist, I’ve seen, time and again, that healing trauma is possible…
Through therapy, writing, transparency, sharing stories, and most importantly, giving a voice to all our lost and wounded parts, I aim to transform the narrative around mental health.

Healing Services
Psychotherapy
We begin with a positive and empathetic relationship between therapist and client and use that relationship to explore a client’s past and the ways that past is still present in unconscious actions and beliefs.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a type of psychotherapy that allows clients to explore the emotional factors underlying their own behavior while in a hypnotized state. It is, a gentle process of changing one’s relationship to difficult experience.
Reiki
The traditional Japanese art of energy-healing, Reiki is a technique of stress reduction and guided meditation that has powerful potentials for both psychological and physical healing.
Supervision
Clinical supervision is an integral part of any therapist’s growth. In clinical supervision, practitioners meet with a supervisor to develop their skills, process their experience, and ensure good service to clients.

Looking for a thoughtful way to help out someone you know?
Sometimes it takes a helping hand to reach out to a therapist. If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for someone you care about, why not support them with access to therapy? Both gift certificates and discount packages can be tailored to your request, click through below for more details and enquiries.
“Atash has a way with people, and an incredibly healing presence that you sense from the moment you meet her - through her voice, her touch and her writing. I have known her for a short time, but in that period she has already taught me so much”
— Evgenia Baydikova
